Queer Networks

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Once known as “New York’s most famous unknown artist,” Ray Johnson was a distinctive figure in the art world, using his mail art practice to reflect the evolving social dynamics and politics of queer communities in the 1960s. This analysis delves into how Johnson’s work aimed to disrupt the prevailing art market and gallery systems, favoring unconventional social connections instead. By utilizing the postal service as his main medium, Johnson fostered an international network of friends and collaborators, enriching his unique body of work. Through the lenses of queer theory and network studies, Miriam Kienle examines how Johnson’s radical correspondence art created new forms of connectivity that nurtured queer sensibilities, challenging the traditional pathways artists typically followed to build their reputations. Although Johnson engaged with movements such as Pop, conceptual, and neo-Dada art, this study emphasizes his resistance to conventional art historical categorizations that prioritize individual mastery. By showcasing his alternative community-building approaches and playful defiance of art world norms, Kienle illustrates how Johnson’s correspondence art offers innovative perspectives on togetherness in an increasingly commodified and interconnected society.